Custer State Park

When we were last here, six years ago, we had just visited Yellowstone and had a fantastic time. But, when it came to wildlife, on that trip, Custer State Park put Yellowstone to shame. I now realize that this is purely luck. It depends on the exact moment of your visit. You may see hundreds of bison in Yellowstone and only a few in Custer. Or, like on our first visit, it’s reversed.

Last time, we stayed at the Sate Game Lodge, in the Coolidge Suite. It was his summer home when he was president. We stayed there because, you know, Mr. C. He sat at the President’s desk and wrote something. While I have absolutely no desire for my son to become president, I will say it was a cool trick. And well worth the nightly rate for the room. Plus, it’s much easier to find last minute lodging at Custer State Park than it is at Yellowstone.

This time, in one afternoon, we saw a respectable amount of wildlife. Although, the number of bison may have been smaller than last time, the one we saw up close was enormous. Gigantic even. He stood proudly on the hill, blue sky behind him, grasses bowing to his glory. Then, he began to walk. He began to walk towards the road. He began to walk towards us. Let me tell you, people, if there is a big, male bison crossing the road in front of you, you notice. Your palms start to sweat. You start to wonder if your will is up to date. There is no question that he is there and that every living creature within sight can feel his presence. I am not exaggerating. He is massive and he is in charge.

Pronghorn antelope. I love them! I may have known the song, but for a long time I didn’t know that the lyrics meant that there was an actual place in the U.S. of A. where the deer and the antelope play. I am obsessed with pronghorn antelope. They are cool. Super cool even. I’m not sure that I can tell you why, they just are. And, we saw a bunch.

We also saw a mama turkey with her baby. She crossed in front of us, not once, not twice, but three times. She was calling to her other babies, the ones who were pretending they couldn’t hear her panicked calls. You know, like human kids. But, I could hear them playing in the grass nearby. I’m sure she could hear them playing in the grass nearby. I hope she found them…

Custer State Park is not like Yellowstone. You won’t spend days on the road going from one magnificent attraction to another. There are no obvious clues of geothermal activity. You never actually wonder if you, and the entire world, are about to be blown to hell as you stand on top of a super volcano, snapping pictures of the pretty landmarks and the impressive animals. But, you will see something beautiful. And, you will see some animals. Take one of the tours that venture off the paved roads and you won’t regret it. You might even get lucky like we did six years ago and find yourself surrounded by hundreds of bison without a care in the world. Really, folks, we were in the middle of an enormous herd of bison lounging in the sun. Wow, talk about a satisfying photo shoot.

If you suddenly discover that you’re in the Black Hills of South Dakota, make sure you take some time to visit Custer State Park. You can even do it on the same day as Mount Rushmore. We did. But, if you’re coming all the way to South Dakota, I recommend that you spend more than a day. The next time I’m in town, I’ll be back for more.